Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Lady Gaga… they’ve got it.
Authenticity – what is it? (Besides an overused, yet often misunderstood quality)

Does it increase sales? Leadership ability? Let’s see.

Imagine a house…

… One room is who you are when you go to work.
… The next room is who you are with your family.
… The next room is who you are with strangers.
… The next room is who you are with friends.

If this house represented your life, here’s what authenticity really means…

Authenticity is when you can knock down all the walls, and be the same person in every room.

Here’s the catch.

If you want the ability to experience Seinfeld’s lighthearted spirit, or Branson’s confidence in the face of monumental risk, or Trump’s resolve to own the world – there’s a catch.

You have two choices to make.

Option 1: Wait until you are “on stage” to try and be who you want to be.

Option 2: Recognize that who you are in public will usually reflect who you are in private.

So, here’s the “how to”. In order for any quality, emotion, or characteristic to become part of the fabric of your nature, personally or professionally, it must be a full time commitment.

If you know that your ability to lead your team, or attract others, will thrive with more compassion, patience, or flexibility, than try this; practice exercising compassion when there’s nobody around, patience when it’s not needed, or flexibility just for the sake of it.

If you know that your ability to sell will grow in proportion to the depth of your connection with customers, your lightheartedness, or your listening skills – your likability – than try this; connect with neighbor Jim, who could care less about your work, be lighthearted around Aunt Edna, who you’ll never sell to, and listen to your wife.